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Dorset Counts — Dorset, in numbers.Local help →

Dorset, in numbers

All statistics

Dorset council area. Every figure carries its own date.

The figures behind the findings, with dates and workings.

Population over time

1996 to 2025

Dorset council area · people

Reviewed figures: 1996 to 2025. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: 336,132 people in 1996; 391,036 people in 2025. 16.3% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Full history context

The population rose from 336,132 to 391,036 between 1996 and 2025.

2024 to 2025: 1,695 more people (0.4% higher).

This counts the whole council area. Growth alone does not establish overcrowding or a shortfall in services.

Data table and workings

All ages, both sexes, usual residents. Source series rebased to the 2021/2022 censuses; latest revisions replace older estimates.

These estimates cover the whole authority, including any surrounding towns and countryside.

Historical boundaries/revisions follow the source series; null years are not zero.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Population over time — Dorset council area: full reviewed history
Periodpeople
1996336,132
1997338,202
1998340,020
1999340,914
2000344,877
2001346,596
2002350,487
2003353,367
2004355,305
2005357,679
2006359,806
2007363,069
2008364,085
2009363,567
2010364,317
2011365,897
2012366,572
2013367,651
2014368,694
2015370,728
2016372,416
2017374,675
2018375,604
2019377,699
2020377,670
2021381,245
2022383,191
2023385,934
2024389,341
2025391,036
Source →

Average monthly private rent over time

January 2015 to August 2026

Dorset council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: January 2015 to August 2026. This reviewed record covers fewer than 30 years, so the chart opens on all of it.

Shown on this chart: £710 a month in January 2015; £1,056 a month in August 2026. 48.7% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Full history context

Average monthly rent rose from £710 to £1,056 between January 2015 and August 2026.

August 2025 to August 2026: £49 more a month (4.9% higher).

Cash prices, before allowing for inflation. Changes do not show affordability without local earnings and household circumstances.

Data table and workings

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

The whole authority area, not just the named city settlement.

Prices are in pounds at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

Average existing and new private rents; not a quote for a home currently advertised.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Average monthly private rent over time — Dorset council area: full reviewed history
Period£ per month
January 2015710
February 2015711
March 2015712
April 2015713
May 2015713
June 2015713
July 2015713
August 2015714
September 2015714
October 2015716
November 2015719
December 2015723
January 2016724
February 2016725
March 2016726
April 2016730
May 2016732
June 2016733
July 2016734
August 2016736
September 2016738
October 2016739
November 2016741
December 2016744
January 2017747
February 2017750
March 2017752
April 2017752
May 2017751
June 2017751
July 2017754
August 2017759
September 2017763
October 2017767
November 2017770
December 2017773
January 2018774
February 2018776
March 2018777
April 2018777
May 2018778
June 2018780
July 2018782
August 2018783
September 2018784
October 2018786
November 2018788
December 2018789
January 2019790
February 2019791
March 2019792
April 2019795
May 2019798
June 2019800
July 2019802
August 2019803
September 2019804
October 2019807
November 2019809
December 2019810
January 2020810
February 2020811
March 2020813
April 2020814
May 2020813
June 2020813
July 2020811
August 2020812
September 2020812
October 2020814
November 2020815
December 2020814
January 2021812
February 2021810
March 2021812
April 2021814
May 2021816
June 2021817
July 2021822
August 2021830
September 2021840
October 2021847
November 2021852
December 2021855
January 2022858
February 2022864
March 2022871
April 2022878
May 2022881
June 2022882
July 2022884
August 2022887
September 2022890
October 2022893
November 2022895
December 2022897
January 2023901
February 2023904
March 2023908
April 2023910
May 2023914
June 2023916
July 2023918
August 2023920
September 2023922
October 2023925
November 2023932
December 2023940
January 2024948
February 2024952
March 2024955
April 2024959
May 2024963
June 2024969
July 2024977
August 2024984
September 2024990
October 2024993
November 2024995
December 2024999
January 20251,001
February 20251,004
March 20251,005
April 20251,004
May 20251,003
June 20251,002
July 20251,003
August 20251,007
September 20251,016
October 20251,023
November 20251,028
December 20251,029
January 20261,031
February 20261,034
March 20261,037
April 20261,039
May 20261,041
June 20261,046
July 20261,051
August 20261,056
Source →

Average home price over time

August 1996 to July 2026

Dorset council area · Cash prices, before allowing for inflation

Reviewed figures: January 1995 to July 2026. The chart opens on the latest 30 years; choose All history for the full reviewed record.

Shown on this chart: £61,725 in August 1996; £325,154 in July 2026. 426.8% higher between these observations.

The line joins consecutive published observations.

Full history context

Average home prices rose from £60,000 to £325,000 between January 1995 and July 2026.

July 2025 to July 2026: £0 less per home (0.1% lower).

Cash prices, before allowing for inflation. Changes do not show affordability without local earnings and household circumstances.

Data table and workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Prices are in pounds at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

Whole local authority area; not a typical home listing or the budget needed by a first-time buyer.

Provisional estimates can be revised. Historical boundaries follow the exact published source code; no old-code series has been relabelled.

The table retains the full reviewed history when the chart is shortened. Preset ranges end at this measure’s latest published period. Yearly windows count published annual periods; monthly windows count months. Gaps are never filled with estimates.

Average home price over time — Dorset council area: full reviewed history
Period£
January 199560,445
February 199560,445
March 199560,445
April 199560,170
May 199560,433
June 199560,352
July 199559,392
August 199559,005
September 199559,441
October 199559,634
November 199560,048
December 199559,277
January 199658,521
February 199658,563
March 199659,850
April 199660,739
May 199661,123
June 199661,327
July 199661,803
August 199661,725
September 199662,507
October 199662,870
November 199663,549
December 199662,933
January 199763,208
February 199763,682
March 199764,731
April 199766,071
May 199766,656
June 199767,568
July 199767,941
August 199769,364
September 199770,424
October 199770,964
November 199771,740
December 199772,466
January 199873,214
February 199872,597
March 199871,689
April 199872,319
May 199874,093
June 199875,816
July 199876,354
August 199877,122
September 199878,464
October 199879,885
November 199880,339
December 199880,316
January 199980,364
February 199980,285
March 199981,439
April 199981,648
May 199982,247
June 199983,264
July 199984,567
August 199986,415
September 199986,852
October 199988,883
November 199990,402
December 199992,356
January 200093,275
February 200093,598
March 200094,368
April 200096,089
May 200098,516
June 2000101,149
July 2000102,686
August 2000105,191
September 2000106,346
October 2000107,483
November 2000107,426
December 2000106,929
January 2001107,141
February 2001106,079
March 2001105,359
April 2001106,023
May 2001108,394
June 2001112,329
July 2001114,443
August 2001116,855
September 2001117,685
October 2001120,199
November 2001120,628
December 2001122,272
January 2002121,610
February 2002124,104
March 2002124,828
April 2002128,529
May 2002130,760
June 2002134,701
July 2002137,611
August 2002140,773
September 2002145,728
October 2002149,100
November 2002152,755
December 2002154,215
January 2003156,194
February 2003155,963
March 2003157,205
April 2003159,864
May 2003161,632
June 2003163,624
July 2003165,389
August 2003167,758
September 2003168,816
October 2003168,907
November 2003170,383
December 2003172,358
January 2004173,919
February 2004174,388
March 2004175,294
April 2004179,064
May 2004183,982
June 2004187,677
July 2004188,298
August 2004190,259
September 2004192,435
October 2004193,653
November 2004193,807
December 2004193,549
January 2005193,495
February 2005192,726
March 2005193,831
April 2005193,702
May 2005195,238
June 2005194,511
July 2005196,020
August 2005195,818
September 2005198,431
October 2005200,151
November 2005200,591
December 2005199,490
January 2006197,720
February 2006199,113
March 2006198,914
April 2006200,950
May 2006203,767
June 2006207,477
July 2006208,917
August 2006209,780
September 2006210,169
October 2006211,591
November 2006211,932
December 2006216,019
January 2007218,040
February 2007219,558
March 2007218,883
April 2007220,083
May 2007224,313
June 2007226,731
July 2007230,664
August 2007229,423
September 2007231,191
October 2007232,089
November 2007235,409
December 2007237,315
January 2008236,515
February 2008231,526
March 2008226,222
April 2008224,121
May 2008225,750
June 2008227,051
July 2008224,700
August 2008219,892
September 2008212,873
October 2008208,576
November 2008206,269
December 2008201,715
January 2009196,699
February 2009191,178
March 2009189,377
April 2009188,160
May 2009190,573
June 2009193,820
July 2009197,212
August 2009199,710
September 2009201,888
October 2009205,047
November 2009206,872
December 2009207,994
January 2010210,129
February 2010211,743
March 2010213,738
April 2010212,207
May 2010213,578
June 2010214,930
July 2010217,686
August 2010219,133
September 2010220,495
October 2010220,609
November 2010216,283
December 2010214,962
January 2011211,303
February 2011210,874
March 2011207,952
April 2011209,707
May 2011212,045
June 2011211,943
July 2011210,517
August 2011211,422
September 2011212,882
October 2011215,416
November 2011213,257
December 2011215,952
January 2012212,956
February 2012213,367
March 2012208,728
April 2012211,823
May 2012212,888
June 2012214,939
July 2012214,318
August 2012214,843
September 2012216,097
October 2012217,783
November 2012216,375
December 2012215,485
January 2013212,764
February 2013213,822
March 2013213,110
April 2013213,359
May 2013215,247
June 2013217,150
July 2013219,560
August 2013218,524
September 2013220,051
October 2013221,106
November 2013222,395
December 2013221,830
January 2014222,288
February 2014222,560
March 2014223,900
April 2014225,249
May 2014227,018
June 2014228,542
July 2014229,921
August 2014232,904
September 2014237,210
October 2014239,695
November 2014238,906
December 2014236,634
January 2015234,973
February 2015234,091
March 2015233,826
April 2015234,944
May 2015237,832
June 2015240,191
July 2015240,961
August 2015241,326
September 2015243,612
October 2015246,950
November 2015249,012
December 2015250,948
January 2016249,319
February 2016249,799
March 2016251,277
April 2016252,635
May 2016254,222
June 2016252,329
July 2016253,745
August 2016256,086
September 2016260,290
October 2016261,413
November 2016260,962
December 2016259,516
January 2017261,306
February 2017262,532
March 2017263,120
April 2017264,606
May 2017266,232
June 2017267,910
July 2017269,708
August 2017272,156
September 2017276,054
October 2017278,419
November 2017279,573
December 2017277,397
January 2018275,877
February 2018276,309
March 2018275,986
April 2018276,024
May 2018272,935
June 2018273,024
July 2018276,886
August 2018279,895
September 2018281,249
October 2018278,191
November 2018275,623
December 2018275,000
January 2019273,760
February 2019277,205
March 2019276,792
April 2019277,596
May 2019273,654
June 2019273,083
July 2019273,169
August 2019272,697
September 2019274,629
October 2019275,064
November 2019277,645
December 2019278,357
January 2020277,625
February 2020278,798
March 2020276,400
April 2020281,087
May 2020278,791
June 2020279,644
July 2020276,977
August 2020276,239
September 2020279,243
October 2020281,364
November 2020290,436
December 2020293,920
January 2021295,819
February 2021293,274
March 2021295,014
April 2021294,921
May 2021293,497
June 2021298,201
July 2021294,727
August 2021301,509
September 2021303,448
October 2021311,081
November 2021315,665
December 2021315,029
January 2022321,064
February 2022324,440
March 2022327,807
April 2022332,344
May 2022334,835
June 2022337,512
July 2022339,496
August 2022344,688
September 2022349,949
October 2022352,127
November 2022348,478
December 2022344,488
January 2023342,170
February 2023342,117
March 2023341,897
April 2023339,616
May 2023338,022
June 2023333,988
July 2023334,351
August 2023333,213
September 2023337,145
October 2023337,702
November 2023338,299
December 2023331,650
January 2024327,741
February 2024324,083
March 2024326,319
April 2024324,500
May 2024325,624
June 2024327,355
July 2024330,213
August 2024329,181
September 2024328,356
October 2024331,246
November 2024332,240
December 2024330,986
January 2025328,561
February 2025330,719
March 2025332,328
April 2025327,552
May 2025321,826
June 2025320,223
July 2025325,443
August 2025330,038
September 2025331,588
October 2025329,144
November 2025326,846
December 2025326,906
January 2026328,072
February 2026328,593
March 2026329,500
April 2026326,836
May 2026327,575
June 2026324,725
July 2026325,154
Source →

People aged 65 or over

29.6%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All usual residents

112,276 out of 379,579.

Source and method →

People reporting bad or very bad health

5.1%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All usual residents; self-reported, not age-standardised

19,336 out of 379,579.

Source and method →

People counted in the census

379,579

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All usual residents

379,579 out of 379,579.

Source and method →

People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent

31.5%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Residents aged 16 and over

101,298 out of 321,902.

Source and method →

Households facing at least one measured disadvantage

50.1%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

The census checks education, employment, health and housing. This is not a measure of income or poverty.

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All households

84,786 out of 169,258.

Source and method →

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages

15.1%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

The census checks education, employment, health and housing. This is not a measure of income or poverty.

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All households

25,557 out of 169,258.

Source and method →

Residents aged 16+ outside the labour market

45.7%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

All usual residents aged 16 and over

147,219 out of 321,900.

Source and method →

Average home price

£325,000

July 2026 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published UK House Price Index average price, all property types and all buyers, not seasonally adjusted. Entire series comes from the 2026-07 official full-file release, preserving its historical revisions and exact area codes. It is a mix-adjusted average, not the median price paid.

Shown to the nearest £1,000. Published value: £325,154.

Homes in the local authority area

Source and method →

Residents aged 16+ in work

52.1%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

All usual residents aged 16 and over

167,777 out of 321,900.

Source and method →

Residents aged 16+ not working because of long-term illness or disability

3.3%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

All usual residents aged 16 and over

10,596 out of 321,900.

Source and method →

Mapped crimes in the last 12 published months

15,472

2025-09 to 2026-08 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Official Police.uk 2026-08 full archive, street-crime CSVs only. Every force-month file read once; each source row retained without deduplicating persistent crime hashes. Approximate locations assigned to the same official generalised ward polygons as the API pipeline. Transport police, unlocated and outside-boundary records excluded; anti-social behaviour kept separate. Exact category counts checked against all retained API ward-months before accepting this adapter.

Published mapped crimes excluding anti-social behaviour

Source and method →

Average monthly rent

£1,056

August 2026 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Official local housing data feed. House prices are provisional, not seasonally adjusted; rents use the Price Index of Private Rents. Local short-term estimates are variable. Country references use only the explicitly country-coded ctry object, never the local place object.

Homes in the local authority area

Source and method →

People aged 16+ with no qualifications

15.8%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

Residents aged 16 and over

50,834 out of 321,902.

Source and method →

People living in the area

391,036

Mid-2025 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published mid-year estimate for the whole local authority area. This is not automatically the population of the named city settlement.

All usual residents

Source and method →

Homes rented privately

16%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All households

27,612 out of 169,261.

Source and method →

Residents aged 16+ retired

33.4%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly.

All usual residents aged 16 and over

107,446 out of 321,900.

Source and method →

Homes rented from a council or housing association

12%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

Published Census 2021 count; percentage uses the matching population denominator

All households

20,836 out of 169,261.

Source and method →

Residents aged 16+ unemployed

2.1%

21 March 2021 · Dorset council area

Show the workings

21 March 2021, residents aged 16 and over. Includes full-time students in the corresponding work/unemployment categories. Not a current labour-market estimate or the usual 16–64 employment rate. Census took place during the coronavirus pandemic; furlough and lockdown affected answers. Ward counts sum complete official output-area best-fit membership; privacy adjustment can make totals differ slightly. Unemployed residents as a share of all residents aged 16+; this is not the unemployment rate among economically active people.

All usual residents aged 16 and over

6,904 out of 321,900.

Source and method →
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